Compulsory kill cords?

fireball said:
It's not want - its need. But then if you can't evaluate the risk should you really be using it at all?
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Originally Posted by NormanS

--If fireball doesn't want to use his kill chord (sic), he could always use a rhope.--

I am merely referring to your strange spelling
 
When ever I am driving a boat fitted with a kill cord then I will always use it, In a tiller steered boat, then it's attached to my lifejacket/bouyancy aid, in a RIB it's round my leg. Whenever I leave the vicinity of the engine control then the engine is automatically cut, especially when I'm operating a safety boat.

As, in the past I have been safety boat 'captain' for club events, I have on occasions had to draw RIB drivers attention when they have not been wearing a kill cord. I always have mine, when in a RIB, round mmy leg, so even if I leave the boat the kill cord comes with me.

IMHO it's a no brainer, wear a kill cord. Think of it as the ignition key, if you left your car you would take the key with you.
 
snooks said:
IMHO you'd have to be stupid not to wear a kill cord.

It's there for a reason, and sadly as the accident in Padstow shows, if you don't wear one you might die.

Should it be law? No, it should be common sense.
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Did you not read my post on the last page?

YES I agree an a fast powerboat you should wear the kill cord.

But please explain to me how I can operate my little sailing boat if I'm effectively tied to the transom by a short kill cord. How do I put out my fenders on the way into the harbour? How do I prepare my mooring lines? How do I raise my sails while motioring into the wind when the kill cord would not even allow me to reach the other end of the cockpit?

It's for that reason I don't want a law, written no doubt to apply to all outboards in all boats regardless.

Or are you going to tell me when sailing your own yacht, you are happy to be strapped to a kill cord? If so tell me how you do those things?
 
Malcb said:
IMHO it's a no brainer, wear a kill cord. Think of it as the ignition key, if you left your car you would take the key with you.
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The problem with "No brainers" is that you don't think WHY ...

anyway - have you never left your engine running whilst you've got out of the car? Poor analogy there ..
 
ProDave said:
Did you not read my post on the last page?

YES I agree an a fast powerboat you should wear the kill cord.
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I said it shouldn't be law it should be common sense, and I thought that common sense would apply in your situation.

How about I add in the caveat that IHMO It's stupid not to wear one if your OB has one and your OB is your primary form of propulsion, or your boat is a RIB? Happier? :)

If you are motoring your yacht, and are single handed, then IMHO you should be wearing one, that's not to say you have to wear one, but I would. If I did more single handed sailing I'd be happier having a kill cord, less hassle than wearing a life jacket or being clipped on. Never much liked the idea of being in the water watching my boat disappear into the distance on her own.

You don't have to have the engine in gear to get/warps out fenders and warps out etc.

If you don't want to wear yours, that's fine with me, you know my opinion :)
 
bluemoongaffer said:
Having it as law, isn't so much to do with enforcement but in making it legitimate and acceptable for all users of powerboats to use the kill cord.
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You have a point - before the seat belt law a lot of people thought they would be seen as sissy if they wore a belt; now it is routine.

The down side is that it is almost certain to get gold-plated in the manner of all British legislation.
 
snooks said:
If you are motoring your yacht, and are single handed, then IMHO you should be wearing one, that's not to say you have to wear one, but I would. If I did more single handed sailing I'd be happier having a kill cord, less hassle than wearing a life jacket or being clipped on. Never much liked the idea of being in the water watching my boat disappear into the distance on her own.
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My last sailing boat (24') had an outboard and kill cord, sister ships had diesel inboards. *What is the difference?

Should ALL boats should have Kill cords?
 
:confused:

How about a 'Stop/ Kill cord' that has to be fitted/ attatched before the O/B can be started? :)

How about fitting of Prop Guards a legal requirement? :) by manufacturer? :)

Yes, i'd say, that with the growth of Boating in its many forms, unfortunately the making of Boating Safer in manyways is, now essential, as we (as a society) do not necessarily have the 'learning curve' in Boating that used to be the (poss) norm!

A typical High Earner/ Bonus man/ woman buying a Rib (why) might, nowadays, be considered a 'fashion' statement, just perhaps?

Just spend some time hanging around a Public Launching slip, and observe the antics shown by some High Speed boaters, and thats before they 'get afloat'. When launched and underway, their 'control' of the boat seems to want some instruction/ guidance/ advice etc, yes the wearing of a suitable device to help the safety of 'others' in now a real necessity, i'd suggest.
 
KevO said:
Law is all about enforcement, they are inextricably linked. Without enforcement a law is completely and utterly pointless.
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No not necessarily so! I'd suggest that making a requirement UK Law has the benefit of it being a requirement, so society has its own ways of showing disaproval of those that choose to disregard it, (family members being a good example). Quite often Laws are made for the general Public wellbeining and social enhancement/ protection. Speed limits and non use of mobile hones are a good example!
 
Capt Popeye said:
No not necessarily so! I'd suggest that making a requirement UK Law has the benefit of it being a requirement, so society has its own ways of showing disaproval of those that choose to disregard it, (family members being a good example). Quite often Laws are made for the general Public wellbeining and social enhancement/ protection. Speed limits and non use of mobile hones are a good example!
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Or to give the impression that politicians are on the ball and thus get the media off their backs. Like the proposed law on drink boating, the mobile phone law was utterly unnecessary as existing legislation should have been employed. Making new laws has become a PR gesture to avoid explaining why the state can't be bothered, or is too venal or incompetent, to enforce the ones extant. They also seem to be increasingly badly drafted, perhaps to make lucrative work for lawyers. Look at the long hassles over corporate manslaughter, fraud etc.

Sadly, a law on kill cords would probably fall into the gesture category, quite apart from the risk of criminalising responsible people who are complying with the spirit of the law but fall foul of its inevitable goldplating and the ignorance of its very clever drafters.
 
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How about an industry agreed largish sticker applied on the casing? On the lines of: For your own safety, and that of others, secure the kill cord to your person before starting the engine. At least that would remind people about it. If they choose to ignore it, then so be it. Legislation is not needed.
 
:confused::(

I do recall, that a similar accident/ incident happened a'while back in the USA; and the case against the O/B companies, Boat companies, Boat Builders Federations, indeed it would appear, all and sundry in the Marine Industry, was considered Strong Enough for an Out of Court settlement. :(
 
Stork_III said:
Every time I stop the engine, it is the only way to stop it.
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On our 2.5hp you can push the switch to stop the engine (if the damm engine would just stay still long enough - otherwise pull the chord)
On the clubs 50hp it's electric start and the key is used to start & stop the engine - so the killswitch doesn't have to be tested ... iirc the instructions for use have changed to incorporate a test of the killswitch before the boat is launched.
 
snooks said:
I said it shouldn't be law it should be common sense, and I thought that common sense would apply in your situation.

How about I add in the caveat that IHMO It's stupid not to wear one if your OB has one and your OB is your primary form of propulsion, or your boat is a RIB? Happier? :)

If you are motoring your yacht, and are single handed, then IMHO you should be wearing one, that's not to say you have to wear one, but I would. If I did more single handed sailing I'd be happier having a kill cord, less hassle than wearing a life jacket or being clipped on. Never much liked the idea of being in the water watching my boat disappear into the distance on her own.

You don't have to have the engine in gear to get/warps out fenders and warps out etc.

If you don't want to wear yours, that's fine with me, you know my opinion :)
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Snooks...may I ask...do you have a kill cord on your Sadler?

Thanks.
 
nimbusgb said:
What utter tosh!
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Care to explain this? Using a mobile while driving was already covered by the various driving laws (care and attention etc). Just as the kill cord thing is already covered because if you kill someone then you'll be charged with manslaughter. As others have said, education is the key, and the proper use of existing generic laws.
 
snooks said:
You don't have to have the engine in gear to get/warps out fenders and warps out etc.
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But I do have to have the engine in gear to motor into the wind and get the main up, for which I need to be at the mast which is at least 12 feet from the engine if not further. The kill cord is stretched if I try to wear it in the cockpit due to the engine being on the transom - not everyone has a morse control with kill switch!

Perhaps the answer to this is to have the kill switch removed from any boat where it's not sensible to use one, that way a law could force their use where available without issue to those of us who would need to break that law otherwise. Or perhaps we could get some perspective, and realise that more people still die from not wearing a cycle helmet than from not using a kill cord. Yes it's tragic but it's rare as rocking horse poo so doesn't need a law. If we legislate against every little thing that kills someone then there would be very few things left to do, I'd say smoking should be banned before this is laid into law as far more people would be "saved".
 
NealB said:
Snooks...may I ask...do you have a kill cord on your Sadler?

Thanks.
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No I don't, if you read my post I said "if I did more single handed sailing I'd be happier having a kill cord"

I do however spend most of my working life in RIBs, and it's not unknown for me to be driving and taking photos, and yes I do always wear a kill cord.
 
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